Heritage Assessment
- Submitted by: heidijones4
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- Category: Other
- Date Submitted: 09/14/2012 06:40 PM
- Pages: 7
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Understanding culture is an important part of providing holistic patient care. Using the Heritage Assessment Tool can help you to incorporate their beliefs and thought processes regarding healthcare and their everyday life. When you have an understanding of the person’s background, it enables you to better care for these patients as well as their families.
Culture can be defined as “the thoughts, communications, actions, beliefs, values, and institutions of racial, ethic, religious or social groups” (Jarvis,2012). Differing cultures will also include people who speak different languages. This may present barriers for communication with our patients. If an individual does not understand the questions being asked of them, or the written information given to them, they might not feel comfortable with the care they are receiving.
Interviews
The first interview was with Kohn Puplantku, a physician this author works closely with. Kohn’s ethnic background is Ghanaian and German. He has been in Clinton, Iowa for about 7 years now. Kohn is a single, African male who was born in 1974 in Dusseldorf, Germany. His father was studying pediatric medicine at this time. By the age of 5 his parents moved to Ghana, where his parents were both born. Ghana is located in West Africa. His father was born in Tema and his mother was born in Accra. Kohn has 1 brother and no sisters. Kohn and his brother both attended private school while growing up. Kohn and his family rarely saw their extended family, except on a yearly basis. However, he did see his maternal grandmother monthly.
The main language spoken in Ghana is English, there are however, 46 different languages used in this country. Kohn also speaks German, French, and Spanish. Kohn and his brother were raised by Protestant faith by their parents. The Protestant faith believes that man was created from good but fell from grace by sin when Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the forbidden garden (Vial, n.d.)....
Culture can be defined as “the thoughts, communications, actions, beliefs, values, and institutions of racial, ethic, religious or social groups” (Jarvis,2012). Differing cultures will also include people who speak different languages. This may present barriers for communication with our patients. If an individual does not understand the questions being asked of them, or the written information given to them, they might not feel comfortable with the care they are receiving.
Interviews
The first interview was with Kohn Puplantku, a physician this author works closely with. Kohn’s ethnic background is Ghanaian and German. He has been in Clinton, Iowa for about 7 years now. Kohn is a single, African male who was born in 1974 in Dusseldorf, Germany. His father was studying pediatric medicine at this time. By the age of 5 his parents moved to Ghana, where his parents were both born. Ghana is located in West Africa. His father was born in Tema and his mother was born in Accra. Kohn has 1 brother and no sisters. Kohn and his brother both attended private school while growing up. Kohn and his family rarely saw their extended family, except on a yearly basis. However, he did see his maternal grandmother monthly.
The main language spoken in Ghana is English, there are however, 46 different languages used in this country. Kohn also speaks German, French, and Spanish. Kohn and his brother were raised by Protestant faith by their parents. The Protestant faith believes that man was created from good but fell from grace by sin when Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the forbidden garden (Vial, n.d.)....